Demonstrators disguised as native Americans destroy tea shipment in Boston (designed by Wannapik) In the year 1773, the hymn that becomes known as Amazing Grace is first performed in Olney, England (Jan 1), the Parliament of Great Britain passes the Tea Act, designed to save the British East India Company by granting it a monopoly on the North American tea trade (Apr 27), America’s first insane asylum opens in Williamsburg, Virginia (Oct 12), Sons of Liberty steal aboard ships of the East India Company and dump their cargo of tea into Boston Harbor in protest against British tax policies - this becomes known as the** Boston Tea Party** (Dec 16) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

This time in Streets and Squares we take a look at a very unique place. Venice in Italy. Or Venezia, as they say in Italian. Situated on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. It is not easy to find eponymous streets in Venice, but still, there are some. And as always in Streets & Squares, clicking on the address links leads you to Google Maps, and clicking on the names to the person’s Wikipedia page. Continue reading

Cayman Islands, orginally called Las Tortugas (The Turtle Islands) due to the abundance of turtles there In the year 1503, Christopher Columbus discovers the Cayman Islands, which he names Las Tortugas (May 10), Naples is captured by the Spanish (May 13), King James IV of Scotland marries Margaret Tudor (Aug 8), Queen Isabella I of Spain prohibits violence against native tribes (Oct 30), Leonardo da Vinci probably starts work on painting the Mona Lisa in Florence, Vasco da Gama establishes India’s first Portuguese fortress at Kochi on the southwest coast of India - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

The Eastern Hemisphere 900 AD This page comprises of the years between 901 and 1000. So, a hundred years of events and births! These will be later on divided into decades, but not into any individual years. 900s - 910s - 920s - 930s - 940s - 950s- 960s - 970s - 980s - 990s Greenland is discovered by the Norseman Gunnbjörn Ulfsson, Al-Azhar University in Cairo is founded (970-972), reindeer and bears become extinct in Britain, the last wild lion is seen in Europe, Continue reading

Map of Oceania In the year 1380, Olaf II of Denmark also becomes Olaf IV of Norway at the age of five (Feb), the Venetian fleet defeats the Genoese in the Battle of Chioggia (Jun 21), Geoffrey Caucer begins to write his greatest work, The Canterbury Tales, the last islands of Polynesia are discovered and inhabited - and all these fine peope were born: 1380-xxxx Johann Schiltberger* German traveller/writer - Hollern near Munich (1440/c. Continue reading

In the year 1632, Munich is captured by the Swedish army (May), Charles I of England issues a charter for the colony of Maryland (Jun 20), the University of Tartu officially opens in Swedish Livonia (Oct 15), the Swedish King Gustav II Adolf is killed in action in Lützen (Nov 16), the construction of the Taj Mahal begins, Catharina Stopia of Sweden becomes perhaps the first female diplomat in Europe, the Portuguese are driven out of Bengal - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

This time in First Names First we will concentrate on Joel/Yoel - a male given name meaning “Yahweh Is God”. A pretty popular name around the world. Joel Rinne* actor – Asikkala, Grand Duchy of Finland (1897) Joel Barr* electrical engineer/part of the Soviet Atomic Spy Ring – New York City, NY USA (1916) Joel Grey* actor/ singer/director - Cleveland, OH USA (1932) Joel Ryce-Menuhin* pianist/psychologist – Sterling, IL USA (1933) Continue reading

In the year 1707, the new sovereign state of Great Britain comes into being as Scotland and England become one (May 12), the last recorded eruption of Mount Fuji begins in Japan (Dec 16), Charles XII of Sweden launches his campaign to conquer Russia, marching to the east from Leipzig with 60,000 men (Dec), Shaw’s Bridge in Belfast in constructed - and all these fine people were born: 1707-0102 Johann Adam Lehmus* German poet of numerous spiritual songs - Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire (1788/81) Continue reading

Enjoying some beer in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife In the year 1516, the Reinheitsgebot is instituted in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, regulating the purity of beer permissible for sale (Apr 23), peace is declared between the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire (Dec 4), Thomas More publishes his most famous work Utopia, the Venetian Ghetto is instituted, the first ghetto anywhere in the world - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Tero Pitkämäki from Finland throwing javelin Javelin throw is a separate event in light athletics, and also an event of the men’s decathlon and the women’s heptathlon. Sweden’s Eric Lemming, who threw his first world best (49.32 meters) in 1899 and ruled the event from 1902 to 1912, was the first dominant javelin thrower. Here below you see a list of the most successful javelin throwers, both male and female. Some of whom have in a similar way dominated the discipline, but perhaps not in as many years. Continue reading

In the year 1628, Oliver Cromwell makes his first appearance in the English Parliament (Mar 17), the Swedish 64-gun sailing ship Vasa sinks on her maiden voyage in Stockholm Harbor (Aug 10, The Collegiate School, the oldest surviving educational institution in North America, is established in New Amsterdam, the first black slaves arrive in Dutch Manhattan - and all these fine people were born: 1628-0112 Charles Perrault* author/folklorist - Paris, France (1703/75) Continue reading

The grand stairway of the Palais Garnier Opera in Paris, photo credt isogood In the year 1637, the tragicomedy Le Cid is first performed in Paris, France (Jan), Tulip mania - generally considered the first recorded speculative bubble - collapses in the Dutch Republic (Feb 3), the first English venture to China is attempted, with six ships to Macau and Canton (Jun 27), Pierre de Fermat makes a notation claiming to have proof of what will become known as Fermat’s Last Theorem, world’s first public opera house opens in Venice, Italy - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

[caption id=“attachment_4180” align=“alignright” width=“410”]Battle of Springfield, New Jersey in 1780[/caption] In the year of 1780, the legislature of Pennsylvania votes to approve the Act for the Gradual Emancipation of Slaves (Mar 1), Charleston in South Carolina is taken by British forces (May 12), the Continental Army defeats the British in New Jersey (Jun 23), French soldiers arrive in Newport, Rhode Island to reinforce the colonists in the American Revolutionary War (Jul 11), the French King Louis XVI abolishes the use of torture in extracting confessions (Aug 24), the American War of Independence (1775–1783) goes on - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

People conversing in sign language. Photo credit Natural American Sign Language by daveynin This time in Language Day let’s have a look at sign languages. Since many of the ways we show our emotions and reactions with different gesticulations and facial expressions are universal, one might think that there could be just one universal sign language. But that is of course not the case. Sign languages are expressed through manual articulations in combination with non-manual elements. Continue reading

Stockholm Palace In the year 1754, the French and Indian War begins when the 22-year old George Washington leads a company of militia from the Colony of Virginia, in an ambush on a force of 35 French Canadians (May 28), the British North American Province of Georgia is created (Aug 6), Denmark establishes an office to oversee its colonial affairs of the Danish West Indies, later to become the U.S. Virgin Islands (Nov 28), the Swedish royal family moves in the new Stockholm Palace (Dec 7) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

In the year 1784, the Congress of the United States ratifies the Treaty of Paris with Great Britain to end the American Revolutionary War (Jan 14), the composition of water is revealed (Jan 15), the Emerald Buddha is installed at the Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok (Mar 22), Russia establishes a colony at Kodiak, Alaska (Sep 22), the phenomenon of black holes is first posited in a paper by John Michell in London (Nov 27), - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Amanda Who? Check the list, and read about her! Picture courtesy of Gage Skidmore This time in “First Names First” it is all about Amanda! Follow one of the Wikipedia links to read about the person, and then see what if anything she could contribute your life with. Inspiration, passion, enlightenment, encouragement, empathy, etc. Or just thoughts for the day. Amanda Rylander* stage actress – Jäder, Sweden (1832) Amanda Clement* athlete/umpire/ first woman paid to umpire a baseball game – Hudson, Dakota Territory (1888) Continue reading

In the year 1782, the first American commercial bank opens (Jan 7), the bald eagle is chosen as the emblem of the United States of America (Jun 20), a fire in Constantinople destroys one-half of the city (Aug 21), the first franking privilege is granted for official correspondence in the United States (Oct 18), London creates the Foot Patrol for public security, the largest literary compilation in China’s history, Siku Quanshu, is completed, the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm is opened - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

This time in Today inStreets & Squares we visit Denver, the capital of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver has a lot of numbered avenues, but also a lot of eponymous streets and places. The city itself is named after James W. Denver, and nicknamed the Mile High City due to its official elevation being exactly one mile above sea level. According to Wall Street of the Rockies, “many of the namesakes of Colorado streets, towns, counties and landmarks, tell stories of the Wild, Wild West days before statehood. Continue reading

In the year 1489, the Queen of Cyprus sells her kingdom to the Republic of Venice (Mar 14), Arthur Tudor is named Prince of Wales (Nov 29), typhus first appears in Europe, Johannes Widmann publishes his mercantile book containing the first printed use of plus and minus signs (in order to indicate trading surpluses or shortages) - and all these fine people were born: 1489-xxxx Margareta von Melen* (b Vasa) second cousin of King Gustav Vasa - Sweden (1541/c. Continue reading